A Charlie Brown Tree Story...

That ended Happily Every After!

Every year, we go to Pine Hill Farms to pick out our Christmas tree. This year, for whatever reason, they were already incredibly picked through, despite the fact that we came the Saturday after Thanksgiving- just as we do every year. The manager even apologized at the lack of options and told us he was getting a new shipment of the Frazier Firs (which we get every year) on Wednesday. However, it was Saturday, and we weren’t leaving without the perfect tree.

Justin and I finally decided that tree Number 1 was perfect, though it wasn’t a Frazier Fir and had significantly pricklier needles. As we were discussing its perfection, I noticed a teenage girl starring at us. Thinking she was just checking out how cute Mr. P was, I didn’t think anything about it. Just before we took the tag off the tree (making it officially ours) we decided to ask my Mom and Dad their opinion. So, as we stepped a mere THREE FEET AWAY, said teenage girl RUNS over to the tree, proclaiming it was “the perfect tree for their family!!!” Seriously?? Justin and I were both like, “Oh my gosh, she seriously did not just run underneath our noses and claim our tree. “ So we watched for a few minutes as said family took OUR tree. Trying to remind myself that Christmas wasn’t about a perfect tree, I submerged my emotions and didn’t make a scene. Though I’m pretty sure Justin would have if I had of given him the go ahead.

So off we went. We found tree Number 2. Perfect, though more expensive, even though it was the same bloomin’ size. Pricky needles still, but it would do. Bag ‘er up. We pulled the tag, paid, then went to visit the reindeer, go on the hayride, get our picture made in the sleigh, and get our yearly ornament from the gift shop. Then we went to pick up our tree. They took our tag to match our tag number with the tags on the trees. Crickets… SOMEONE HAD TAKEN OUR CHRISTMAS TREE!!!!

I am not even kidding. I was telling myself not to cry over a stinkin’ tree.

So then, a worker told me we would go find “another tree.” I quickly explained we weren’t getting just ‘another tree,’ that it had to be perfect. Then, he asked for my ticket, explaining that if we picked out a tree that was more expensive, we’d have to pay the difference- which I don’t know your opinion on this, but it totally rubbed me the wrong way. I don’t think it would have under regular circumstances, but we were currently already two trees down and the selection was SO slim that we were going to end up having to choose a tree about 2 feet smaller and pay about thirty dollars more. I did not find anything fair about making me choose a tree that I was just “settling” for and paying much more for it. So, with tears coming up in my eyes, one of the ‘twins’ (there are two twin boys that have worked there every year since we started getting our tree there. They also somehow know Melissa.) asked me if I was ok. I quickly explained to him what was going on and told him that I really wanted to just find a tree that would do and them not make me pay more for it. Of course, he over-road the first guy’s statement and said, “Absolutely! No problem at all.”

He was very sweet and helped us pick out the PERFECT Christmas tree. It’s by far the shortest and by far the fattest Christmas tree we’ve ever had. I dubbed it the Charlie Brown Tree. And while it’s not worldly ‘perfect,’ I fell in love with it and it is PERFECT for us! (AND, it was a Frazier Fir without prickly needles!)